Born Again

How many of us remember the day we were born!?!  We may not remember anything about that day, but we know it’s a special day because of the annual event that takes place every year to celebrate our life . . . our BIRTHDAY!  Based on the excitement that dad’s and mom’s and grandpa’s and grandma’s all over the world exhibit, on a “birth”-day (more specifically a conception) something miraculously special happened.  The DNA from our mother and the DNA from our father came together to create something brand new that never existed before . . . US!  Before our “birth”-day we did not exist, but after our “birth”-day we were something uniquely new and special.  Did you know that in order to enter into the Kingdom of heaven we must go through that same process all over . . . AGAIN?

READ:  John 3:1-21

Entering in the Kingdom requires being REBORN as a CHILD of GOD! When we are born something brand new that had never existed before is created.  We are not a reduplication of anything else, we are something entirely brand new.  In the same way, being “born again” involves something brand new being created within us that never existed before.  John 1:12-13 says, “to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.”  A first birth involves the will of a father and mother, but a second birth involves God’s will.  According to Ephesians 1:4-5, “In love, (God) predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.”  Being born again is a process that any human being can go through in order to become one of His children.  How do we become one of God’s children?

Being “born again” as a child of God requires something BRAND NEW being created within us SPIRITUALLY (Jn. 3:5-6) – When we are physically born we have some pretty standard equipment, arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose, brain, heart, etc.  When we are physically born we arrive in the world with our heart beating, our lungs breathing, and our brain thinking.  We are very simply . . . physically alive.  Although we are physically alive, we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1).  When we are physically born we are given physical life, lower case “l”, but when we born spiritually we obtain spiritual LIFE, capital “L”!  Jesus said in John 10:10, “I came that they may have LIFE”.  It is God’s Spirit “born” within us that creates a brand new eternal life for us (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Being “born again” as a child of God is an INVISIBLE ADOPTION (John 3:7-8) – My wife Marianne and I adopted Darlene Nicol Juan Salvador from Guatemala in July of 2007 and she legally became our daughter.  Sarah did not become aware of her helpless condition and pursue us, we became aware of her helpless condition and pursued her.  Similarly, God, on His own free will, as of an act of love and grace pursued all of us by sending His Son Jesus to redeem us and make us His sons and daughters!  When we put our belief in Jesus Christ the invisible wind of adoption blows into our lives.  At this moment of spiritual rebirth, we are no longer merely human beings of flesh, we are spiritual children of God.  Romans 8:14-15 says, “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (and daughters) of God . . . you received the Spirit of adoption as sons (and daughters), by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  It is those who possess the Spirit of God who are adopted children of God.

CONCLUSION
According to Galatians 4:4-5 God, “sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (and daughters).”  The spiritual man (Jesus Christ) became a child of flesh in order that we might experience spiritual life!  What an amazing reversal of roles.  The One who was by nature a child of God became like us who are not naturally children of God for the whole purpose of adopting us as His children.  This is being “born again”, believing in Jesus Christ and being given the DNA of the Spirit of God, according to the purpose and plan of God, and becoming one of His adopted children!  Have you been born again and become an adopted child of God?